César Sánchez facts for kids
César in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | César Sánchez Domínguez | ||
| Date of birth | 2 September 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Coria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Plasencia | |||
| Valladolid | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1992 | Valladolid B | 17 | (0) |
| 1992–2000 | Valladolid | 206 | (0) |
| 2000–2005 | Real Madrid | 20 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Zaragoza | 110 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Villarreal | 63 | (0) |
| Total | 418 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000 | Spain | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
César Sánchez Domínguez, often called just César, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He was a talented goalkeeper. He played in Spain's top football league, La Liga, for 20 seasons. During this time, he played 401 games.
César played for several famous clubs like Valladolid, Real Madrid, Zaragoza, Valencia, and Villarreal. He was the main goalkeeper for three of these teams. With Real Madrid, he won six major titles, including the important UEFA Champions League in 2002. He also played one game for the Spanish national team. After retiring from playing, César worked as a sporting director for Valencia from January to June 2020.
Contents
César's Club Journey
Starting Out at Valladolid
César was born in Coria, Cáceres, Spain. He learned to play football in the youth team of Real Valladolid. He made his first team debut in the 1991–92 season. From 1995 to 2000, he was a very important player for Valladolid, almost always playing in their league games.
Playing for Real Madrid
In 2000, César joined one of Spain's biggest clubs, Real Madrid. At first, he was a backup goalkeeper to the young star Iker Casillas. However, in the 2001–02 season, César became the main goalkeeper. He started five of the nine UEFA Champions League matches that season. Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League, but César had to leave the final game early due to an injury. Casillas then took his place.
Time at Zaragoza and Tottenham
César moved to Real Zaragoza in 2005. He was the main goalkeeper for Zaragoza for three seasons. In August 2008, after Zaragoza was moved down to a lower league, César was sent to the reserve team.
Soon after, César joined Tottenham Hotspur in England. He played only one game for the London club. This was in a League Cup match against Liverpool, which Tottenham won 4–2.
Returning to Spain with Valencia
César came back to Spain in January 2009. He joined Valencia CF for free. Valencia needed a goalkeeper because their main one was injured. César quickly became the starting goalkeeper for Valencia. He kept his spot even after the injured goalkeeper returned.
César played very well for Valencia. He helped the team finish third in the league in the 2009–10 season. This meant Valencia could play in the Champions League again. He signed new contracts to stay with the club. In April 2011, César became one of the oldest goalkeepers to play in the Spanish League. He was 39 years and 212 days old when he played in a game against Getafe CF.
Later Career and Retirement
After Valencia signed new goalkeepers, César decided to move on. In June 2011, he signed a one-year deal with Villarreal CF, another team in the same region. He made his debut for Villarreal in September. During one game, he became only the fifth player over 40 years old to play in Spain's top division.
César returned to Valencia in January 2020, but this time as a sporting director. He helped manage the club's football operations. However, he resigned from this role five months later.
César's International Play
César played one game for the Spanish national team. This was a friendly match against Germany in August 2000. Spain lost the game 4–1.
César's Trophies and Awards
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2000–01
- Supercopa de España: 2001, 2003
- UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
- Intercontinental Cup: 2002
- UEFA Super Cup: 2002
More About César
- List of La Liga players (Players with 400+ appearances)
- List of Real Zaragoza players (Players with 100+ appearances)
See also
In Spanish: César Sánchez Domínguez para niños
